DeepSkies

DeepSkies
Galaxies
M31

M32

M110

Leo Triplet

M81

M82

M104

M33

M51

M108

Leo Triplet - M65, M66 and NGC 3628

Leo Triplet
M65 (top right) - AKA: NGC 3623 | UGC 6328 | PGC 34612, J2000 RA: 11h18m55.24s, Dec: +13°05m34.9s, Mag: 9.3, Distance: 10.7 Mpc, Size: 8x1.5 arc min, Type: SAB(rs)a.
M66 (bottom right) - AKA: NGC 3627 | UGC 6346 | PGC 34695, J2000 RA: 11h20m15.02s, Dec: +12°59m29.5s, Mag: 8.9, Distance: 10.7 Mpc, Size: 8x2.5 arc min, Type: SAB(s)b.
NGC 3628 (bottom left) - AKA: UGC 6350 | PGC 34697, J2000 RA: 11h20m16.95s, Dec: +13°35m20.1s, Mag: 9.5, Distance: 10.7 Mpc, Size: 14x3.6 arc min, Type: Sb pec sp.

The Leo Triplet is spectacular to behold! Consisting of three galaxies (M65, M66, NGC 3628), this cluster is gravitationally tied together just like M31 and the Milky Way are. They are the dominant galaxies of their own group. If viewed from a planet inside one of the Leo Triplet galaxies, the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies would appear similar in scale – with the Milky Way being a beautiful face-on spiral and Andromeda would be seen edge-on.

I can see all three galaxies in the same field of view while using a low power eyepiece and a focal reducer/corrector in my 8" SCT telescope.